Exiled by J. R. Wagner

place. Many men have met their ends in that sea. Nothing is as it seems here, James. Beneath the surface are things more wonderful and terrible than you can possibly imagine. Reality, as it is in The Never, is much like reality in the world from whence you came . . . and much different.”
    “What is this place?” asked James
    “Some say it is another world. They believe there is a magical link between our world and it, which enables one to travel between the two. Others think it is a place on our world simply hidden by magical enchantments of such extraordinary power that only the greatest of our kind could possibly find it.”
    “And what do you believe?”
    “A fine question, my boy. Fine question. Again Luno’s eyes darted with such rapidity that James was sure the man would fall over into spasms. I promise you this. Before you depart, I will tell you what I believe. For now, you must be satisfied with that.”
    “Very well,” James replied.
    “Please sit,” Luno said, extending his hand to the cushions beside the table. Kilani and James sat.
    “Where are my manners? Tea, anyone?”
    Without waiting for a reply, Luno picked up a kettle from the side table and poured the clear liquid into three cups. Luno sat quickly opposite James with Kilani to his left. Luno opened a small wooden box on the tray. Inside were dried leaves.
    “Anon leaves. Named after the gentleman who discovered them, poor bloke. Anyway, best damn tea I’ve ever tasted comes from these little beauties.”
    He gave the box a tap and three equal portions made their way into the cups. The liquid inside the cups changed to a deep amber color. An intoxicatingly fragrant smell slowly rose from the cups.
    “Cheers,” he said with a smile, raising his cup. He set it down without taking a sip.
    As James raised the cup to his lips, Kilani shook her head. He lowered the cup despite his desire to taste its fine-smelling contents.
    “Now, I suppose you have some questions for me.”
    Kilani quickly stood and cleared the table, removing the dangerous liquids.
    “Thank you, Kilani,” said Luno, never taking his eyes off James. “Damn good stuff, Roger leaves, wouldn’t you agree?”
    James simply nodded his head.
    “Now, your questions, my boy.”
    “So much has happened so quickly, I’m not sure where to begin,” James said.
    “Perhaps I can help as I’ve had this conversation numerous times. Although—” he paused for a moment, thinking to himself. “Well, we’ll get to that. The first question I usually get is where am I? To which I reply, you’re in The Never, in the quaint costal villa of Harbor Town to be exact. Then they ask what is The Never? To which I reply, it is where you go when you’ve been really, really naughty.”
    “How do I get back?” James asked.
    “Back? Why on earth would you want to go back? This place can be whatever you want it to be. For me, it is a home. For others, it is a prison or nothing more than a final resting place. Of all those things, going back is not one of the options. There is no going back. Never, hence the name.”
    “But there must be a way. If we got here, there must be a way to get back.”
    “Son, I’ve been here two lifetimes. I’ve watched men lose their minds simply thinking about getting off this rock.”
    His eyes shifted again and James wondered if Luno had actually lost his mind.
    “Everyone who has tried, has died. The sooner you eliminate leaving as an option the better.”
    “How can that be?”
    “There are more mysteries than answers on this island. I have some answers yet this is not one of them.”
    “I meant, how can you have been here that long? You look—”
    “Time in The Never is not like time where we come from, James. It affects us all differently here. I learned to embrace it once I managed to stop allowing it to consume me.”
    James stood, and he could smell the scent from the teacups that now rested safely on a shelf beside the nearly wall-size map.